Do you ever walk into an art gallery and think “This. This is exactly what I want my home to look like.” I do it every time I walk into an art gallery. When I visited Peggy Guggenheim’s Venice home turned art museum, my favorite part was seeing the old photographs of what the palazzo used to look like back when it was still being lived in, full of furniture with modern masterpieces lining the walls. But it doesn’t take a Guggenheim-worthy collection to get the gallery effect at home. Especially with prints being so readily available online these days anyone can start collection even on a budget. If, like me, your dream home is actually a museum, then keep reading to bring this look home!
Art – The first step to making your home look more like a museum is of course, to get some art. But as you can see from the inspiration photo that doesn’t have to mean paintings on canvas or even in frames, and they certainly don’t have to be hung. You can hang textiles, pages from books, posters, doodles from notebooks, anything goes. Lean them against the wall, balance them on top of other artwork, or tuck them into the edge of a frame. Getting creative with what you hang on your walls and how you hang it (or don’t) will add more interest to the more traditional frames you may have. Above I chose an art exhibition poster, a mirrored wall hanging, a pen and watercolor sketch, and a painting.
Objects – For years I have been eyeing this cement pedestal from cb2. You could put any object on it and it would look like art, and you can switch it out every week if you like. The marble medallion, vintage wooden pulley and unusual vase would definitely look gallery-worthy sitting atop a pedestal.
Furniture – You may need to buy larger pieces like your sofa or dining table to fit the dimensions of your room or the functional needs of your family, but try to work in a few extraordinary pieces where you can. Side chairs upholstered in an eyecatching fabric or an unusual stool will keep your space from looking predictable.
*Inspiration image by Jonas Ingerstedt photography, poster TRNK, marble medallion Wisteria, vintage wheel pulley Wisteria, mirrored wall hanging Ben and Aja Blanca, cement pedestal cb2, upholstered chairs Consort, ink drawing Daniel Diez, vase Tictail, horse painting Anthropologie, vintage stool Wisteria
